Colgate-Palmolive senior leader Maria Del Pilar Mora Saavedra shares with SheTech Intern, Siya Jain, her approach to balance, routine, and visualization, and the impact she’s making in global manufacturing and mentorship.
Salt Lake City, Utah - August 14, 2025
Maria Del Pilar Mora Saavedra’s career has taken her from Thailand’s buzzing factory floors to Italy’s precision-driven production lines — and everywhere in between. As Senior Director for Global Factory Performance and Reliability at Colgate-Palmolive, she ensures that manufacturing sites worldwide run at peak performance, producing high-quality products efficiently and with as little waste as possible.
For Pilar, this work is far more than a job.
“When you find the right company, the right people, the right ambitions, you help bring smiles at the end of the day. And if you’re passionate about it, it doesn’t feel like a job.”
Finding Balance
As a leader, Pilar is deliberate about balancing her personal life with professional responsibilities — though she doesn’t believe in a strict 50/50 split.
“My personal opinion is that people have to find their own personal balance. Quantity doesn’t always mean quality. So for me, I find my own pace, but also respect the pace of others. It’s about communication, respecting time, and having that conversation. If I’m at home, it’s my time to connect with my family, and I’m fully focused on that and that only. Each person has a responsibility to say, ‘What are the things that make me balanced?’ If it’s in your agenda, you make it happen. You communicate.”
Building Energy Through Routine
Part of that balance comes from structure. Pilar starts her mornings with a workout and breakfast — a combination she says fuels her energy for the day ahead.
“I try to put my most important, and sometimes most energy-draining, things at the start of the day. Afternoons are for collaborations. No later than 7 p.m., I need to be home and have dinner with my family. It’s very important how you manage your energy during the day, because when I’m playing, I play hard.”
The Power of Visualization
Beyond her physical routine, Pilar carves out time for something many people overlook: visualization. Whether she’s mapping out her day or clarifying long-term goals, she treats it as essential mental training.
“I spend time visualizing what I want to achieve and how I want to achieve it. Sometimes it’s when I get up in the morning or before going to sleep. Your mind goes everywhere, so go back and visualize where you are and the present. I believe in the power of the mind, and meditation helps with that. It’s like a muscle — at the beginning it’s going to hurt. Sometimes I can’t even concentrate for one minute, but then there are better days. The time you can’t concentrate is the time when you need it the most. You need to prime yourself — your body and mind — on what you want to do. That’s when you get your best.”
Leading Through Challenges
Leadership also means facing difficult moments. For Pilar, the hardest are the decisions that directly affect her team.
“Sometimes as we support the business, we have to reduce the size of the teams, and those are tough decisions. Because in the end we all are human, right? Being able to communicate those decisions is tough, even if it’s the right decision. In the end, a bigger team is impacted, but communicating with the individuals who are affected is the hardest.”
Making a Lasting Impact
What keeps Pilar inspired is the opportunity to help others — both inside and outside the company. One highlight was training and mentoring a group of women who went on to graduate as the first in their families.
“There were seven of them, and most still continue to pave the way for more generations. Being able to do things differently for the greater good, and making a new legacy, makes me feel very proud. It’s not really about what you achieve — it’s about how you achieve it.”
From the boardroom to the factory floor, Pilar’s story is proof that leadership, when driven by purpose, can create a ripple effect far beyond the workplace.
Siya Jain is a senior at Cedar Valley High School in Eagle Mountain, Utah. She aspiring to become a successful entrepreneur.